Investigation of Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation for Zone 2 Flexor Tendon Injuries of the Hand

The treatment process following Zone 2 flexor tendon injuries, which are particularly controversial for hand surgery, is challenging. There are various rehabilitation methods for Zone 2 flexor tendon injuries, one of which is the Modified Duran Protocol. Disruptions in the physiotherapy process lead to joint contractures, tendon adhesions, and limitations in daily life activities for patients. Due to global issues such as socioeconomic factors, physical barriers, distance, and pandemics, patients who cannot actively participate in physiotherapy miss out on the rehabilitation process.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effectiveness of the Modified Duran protocol applied through telerehabilitation following Zone 2 flexor tendon repair. Between April and October 2024, a total of 42 adults aged 18-55 who underwent Zone 2 flexor tendon repair at Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine will be recruited, with 21 participants in face-to-face clinic group and 21 in telerehabilitation group. Rehabilitation process will be followed for 12 weeks. The telerehabilitation group will receive exercise training on the third day. After the first training session, patients will be discharged and called to the clinic once a week for dressing changes, monitoring, exercises and if necessary, revision of the protective splint. Patients will be contacted three times a week to implement the planned program using telerehabilitation.

The face-to-face rehabilitation group will receive face-to-face clinic rehabilitation three times a week under the supervision of a physiotherapist for the first 12 weeks.

Patients will be evaluated at the end of the 5th, 6th, and 12th weeks. Data collection tools will include a 'Sociodemographic Form', 'Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire', 'Visual Analog Scale (VAS)', 'Jamar Hand Dynamometer', and 'Goniometer (Joint Range of Motion)'.

SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) Statistics will be used for the statistical analysis of all data, with a significance level of p <0.05 considered significant in all assessments, and accepted as two-tailed.